|
If you're like me, you want a
camera that's easy to use, has a great set of features that you can use
in many different situations and, of course, you want a good price. In
this edition, we review the Nikon S550 and the Powershot
SD770IS. Both of these are terrific 10MP cameras with enough
bells and whistles to handle many different shooting
conditions.
First, Let's Discuss
Some Important Camera Basics
Megapixels.
This number is a bit mis-understood by many people.More megapixels does
not always mean better pictures. The most important component to great
pictures is actually how well the lens glass is made. The good news is
that both camera manufacturers are known for the best quality lens
glass. And, since they both are 10MP, they each should be of similar
picture quality.
Zoom.
This term refers to how far the object can be from you in order to get
a good picture. Sometimes, you'll hear optical versus digital
zoom. Many manufacturers promote big digital zoom numbers. But, watch
out! Digital zoom actually can make your pictures look terrible! The
best is to look for the good OPTICAL zoom and forget about the DIGITAL
zoom. In this case, the Nikon has a great 5X optical zoom compared to
the Canon's 3X optical zoom.
Image
Stabilization (IS) or Vibration Reduction (VR). This
feature refers to how the camera can help you from blurring
the picture if your hand shakes while taking a picture. Have you ever
seen some really blurry picture where you can tell that someone
actually moved their hand too quickly or pressed the shutter release
button too hard. Image Stabilization or Vibration Reduction helps to
balance the out the shaking motion to keep your photos sharp. The good
news is that both cameras have their version of an "anti-shake" feature.
So, what are some other features to consider? A nice large display
screen is always a good idea. It makes easier to see what you've taken
before you get home. Face detection is useful in case you can't figure
out where to focus your camera. And, also useful is the type of memory
card the camera uses. Generally, the smaller the memory card, the
smaller the camera needs to be. So, SD or Secure Digital is a good
small sized memory card.
|
|
 |
| |
| |
| "The Nikon Coolpix S550 is a
pretty neat piece of hardware ... it's good at what it does, and it
offers some nice pluses over other cameras in its price range." |
| |
| Michigoon
"tech geek" |
| Michigan, USA |
|
|
| |
| |
| "This camera ... Canon
Powershot ... blows me away. It takes amazing pictures in auto mode. It
lets you change any settings, as well and the battery life is amazing.
I've taken many pictures in low light with no flash." |
| |
| Edward
Sawma |
| Chicago, IL |
|
|
|
